Bhubaneswar: A day after a female artist lodged a complaint of casting couch and sexual harassment against him, Ollywood actor Pintu Nanda on Thursday rubbished it as utterly baseless and fabricated.
“A shooting was under way on July 28 at the first floor of Kalyana Mandap hall in Nayapalli. After some time, I came downstairs and found some new artists brought by our junior production artist Manas,” said Nanda while briefing mediapersons here.
“In the meantime, the police came and asked me to come to the police station for interrogation. When I asked the reason, they said that a lady has lodged an FIR against me under sections 294 and 506 of the IPC. I went to the police station and saw the FIR in which the lady has alleged that I had misbehaved with her using obscene language. Let me tell you that the charges brought against me is absolutely baseless and the police can examine footage of the CCTV at the Kalyan Mandap to ascertain veracity of the charges. If the complainant has any evidence, I am ready for any punishment,” added Nanda.
The police has asked him to provide an explanation within 15 days. “I will consult my lawyer in this regard,” he informed.
Maintaining that no such incident had taken place, Nanda said the members of the entire unit — including lady artists Pratibha Panda and 78-year-old Sara Apa, who is a contemporary of Ollywood actor Prashant Nanda — were present.
“The two lady artists had also gone to the police station where the complainant was present. On being asked why she had lodged a complaint against me, she said she was told that she will act as the wife of Pintu Nanda in the movie. I had never called her for the role as I already have a lady artist for the role. I can’t say who had brought this lady, who I saw for the first time. Let the junior production artist, who had brought her, comment on this,” he pointed out.
Nanda further said that the complainant, who misbehaved with Pratibha Panda and Sara Apa inside the police station, later told them that she had no enmity with Pintu and he will withdraw the case against him if he calls his junior artist (Manas) on this matter.
Nanda requested the media not to get biased by the complaint lodged by the lady. “The lady in the video had brought casting couch allegation against me. But she has not mentioned this in the FIR,” he said.
Also Read: FIR Filed Against Odisha Actor Pintu Nanda Over Casting Couch Charge
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